Tech notebook: Brooks' 19 tackles, 3 sacks fuel defensive effort

Saturday

Texas Tech fans spent most of Saturday cheering on an upset victory and holding their breaths at the end for their 10-point underdog Red Raiders to hold on.

Jordyn Brooks allowed them to exhale — and resume cheering.

Brooks cut down Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders on a two-point conversion try with 3:27 left, one of the last big defensive plays that preserved Tech's 45-35 home victory against No. 21 Oklahoma State.

That put the exclamation point on a banner day for the Tech inside linebacker, who racked up career highs of 19 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks.

"It was just playing football," Brooks said. "I just so happened to be right there and got lucky, made the play."

The senior from Houston Stratford racked up double-digit tackles for the fourth time in five games this season. Naming off a half-dozen players who contributed to the defensive performance Saturday, Tech coach Matt Wells emphasized Brooks.

"The (defensive linemen) are in there battling, and Jordyn is making all the tackles," Wells said. "He's an elite linebacker in this league."

The Red Raiders needed it against Oklahoma State, which boasts Biletnikoff Award finalist Tylan Wallace, FBS rushing leader Chuba Hubbard and Spencer Sanders, one of the FBS leaders in rushing yards by a quarterback.

Hubbard carried 34 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns, and Wallace caught 11 passes for 85 yards and a TD that helped the Cowboys rally late from a 45-21 deficit.

"I just know from watching film ... from all season what he's shown, any time he gets flushed out of the pocket, he's going to his right," Brooks said. "He never went to his left, not one time, on film that I've seen.

"So it just made it a little bit easier knowing that he's going out to his right if we flush him out. That's why I was there for most of the time, just knowing."

Big numbers

Tech quarterback Jett Duffey threw for 424 yards, 20 short of the career high he produced last year against Texas. He completed 26 of 44, didn't turn the ball over and threw touchdowns of 14 yards to KeSean Carter, 21 yards to T.J. Vasher, 8 yards to Dalton Rigdon and 56 yards to Erik Ezukanma.

"I thought it was a good step, a solid step," Wells said. "Completing that many balls (with) no picks. He missed some early. He didn't let it get him down. He had a good look in his eye."

Duffey also ran 16 yards for the Red Raiders' first touchdown.

"At the beginning of every game, you want to get in that rhythm to where you're just playing; you're not thinking," Duffey said. "From the get-go, I felt confident in our game plan, and I felt confident in my teammates."

Duffey is the fourth quarterback Tech has started in its past six games dating to last season. McLane Carter started the 2018 finale, now injured Alan Bowman started the first three games of 2019 and Jackson Tyner the fourth.

"Every day, I attack the field like I'm the starter," Duffey said. "Doesn't matter if I'm first, second or third. I attack and I do what I'm supposed to do. I focus every single rep, whether I'm in or not, so it didn't feel any different."

The Red Raiders missed a couple of shots at long touchdown passes in the first half. Duffey narrowly overthrew Dalton Rigdon, who was behind everyone for what would have been a 72-yard touchdown.

A little later, Duffey threw on target to McLane Mannix, who dropped what would have been a big gain and possibly a 66-yard touchdown.

The Red Raiders threw the ball down the field more than they had in other games this season.

Asked the reasons, Wells said, "I think we protected him a little bit better. I think for Jett, when you compare it to last week, I think maybe he saw it a little bit better, but we also protected him a little bit better."

Anderson lost

Tech offensive guard Jack Anderson, who has started 28 of the 30 games Tech has played since he arrived, will undergo surgery for an upper-body injury and miss the rest of the season, Wells said.

Anderson played in only three games this season, so he will redshirt and retain his junior-year status for 2020. The new NCAA rule adopted last year allows player to participate in four games and still redshirt.

Anderson suffered an apparent shoulder injury in the Oklahoma game.

Redshirt freshman Weston Wright played nearly the entire game Saturday at Anderson's right guard spot, although Tech went with a different look to open the game.

Terence Steele started at right guard, and sophomore Casey Verhulst opened for Steele at right tackle. They changed it up after two series.

Steele's start was the 40th in his career, but the first at any position other than tackle.

"There was a couple of situations we talked about in a staff meeting, he (line coach Steve Farmer) was going to keep Terence at tackle, a couple of situations we were going to move him back in to guard, and then see how those other two guys played," Wells said.

Adding up

Tech safety Douglas Coleman made his fourth and fifth interceptions of the season. The senior from Zachary, Louisiana, came into the week as one of 13 FBS players with three interceptions.

"I feel like I should be sitting on about eight," said Coleman, who has had his hands on or a shot at three other picks this season.

His fifth wrapped up the Tech victory late in the fourth quarter, catching a pass that glanced off intended receiver Dillon Stoner.

His fourth came when he picked off Sanders on one of Oklahoma State's three first-half turnovers. Defensive tackle Tony Bradford hit Sanders on the throw.

It was quite a series for Coleman, who showed nice timing to break up a deep pass on the play before.

Streak snapped

Tech kicker Trey Wolff made the first seven field goals of his career, including two on Saturday. Wolff finally missed when a 43-yarder in the second quarter came up a little short.

He was kicking into a 17-mph south southwest wind.

The redshirt freshman from Klein finished the day 3 for 4, connecting from 38, 27 and 26 yards. That makes him 8 of 9 for the season.

Missed opportunity

Oklahoma State has not been shut out in the first half of a game since 2014 against Texas, a game the Cowboys lost 28-7.

Tech had a chance to end that streak, but Hubbard made it 20-7 with a 3-yard touchdown 30 seconds before halftime.

Tech punter Austin McNamara, averaging 47.4 yards coming into the game, shanked his worst punt of the season for 15 yards and Oklahoma State moved quickly down the field after starting at the Tech 41-yard line.

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